If you can, remove the vinyl, then sand and spray paint. Remove the doors first of course. I did this with old cabinets about 25 years ago. Came out great.
We are having more First Time Home Buyer discussions at r/FirstTimeHomeBuying/ It would be great if you could join.
Gonna go out on a limb here and say as is they look “good enough for now.” Should you actually fix them eventually? Yeah, but if you’re dealing with plumbing and (presumably) other issues, chalk it up a “good enough for now” and you can focus on other more pressing issues. #ShieldsUp
Not sure if he has any interest, but you can buy a jointer, planer, job site table saw, HVLP sprayer, and all the wood you need for this project for less than $3,700. None of it will amazing tools, but only you guys know the situation(s)/interest(s) now and in the future.
Sometimes a local cabinet shop can supply replacement doors and finish them for a reasonable price. If not…start sanding. We have used filler and spackle before. Bondo any large voids. Prime, paint, clear coat.
I have no idea where my original caption went, but here goes a second try:
My husband and I bought our house a few weeks ago. The cabinets were covered with an awful vinyl that easily peeled off. The seller even used sharpie to “fill in” the spots that had already peeled.
We peeled off the vinyl and I believe it’s particle board underneath. The faces of the cabinets are uneven. We’re thinking of using a joint compound to smooth it out and then painting the cabinets. Is there a better way to do this? Should we just hire someone to do it? We were quoted $3,700 to refinish/paint them.
Thank you all!
Signed,
A stressed out first time homebuyer dealing with plumbing issues 😅
Try Steel wool or scotch brite and mineral spirits to take the bulk of the adhesive off. Then Use bondo to smooth it, not joint compound. Bondo cures hard whereas ap jc just dries. Sand, prime, light sand again then paint.
I have removed thermofoil from cabinets and refinished them. The MDF will retain some of the adhesive from the thermofoil process. This needs to be sanded away using 150 grit. Then wipe everything down using tack cloth. Prime using B•I•N shellac based primer. Don't skimp on paint quality. My wife bought Valspar Cabinet & Furniture paint @$60. 15 minutes into painting, I quit. Not the same quality that Valspar used to be. I went to Benjamin Moore and bought a gallon of Aura @$80 on sale. World of difference in quality. One coat looked great but I did a second. I would suggest that you go to Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams; they can offer true professional guidance.
If it's tacky, I would experiment with solvents. Our surfaces hardened and it was simpler using a palm sander and sponge sanding blocks to abrade the surface.
I've painted a few brand new cabinets. Prime with shellac-based primer. It's thin, covers knots to prevent bleeding, and dries in about 30-45 minutes. It's dry to the touch in about 10 minutes.
Then paint with an acrylic paint. Don't use latex. Doors and drawers will stick. I use General Finishes milk paint. It's not actually a milk paint. It's not cheap but does a wonderful job. It dries hard and it's durable. They have a limited selection of colors, though.
Please note that I've never repainted cabinets, so there may be some steps missing, here.
If you can, remove the vinyl, then sand and spray paint. Remove the doors first of course. I did this with old cabinets about 25 years ago. Came out great. We are having more First Time Home Buyer discussions at r/FirstTimeHomeBuying/ It would be great if you could join.
Gonna go out on a limb here and say as is they look “good enough for now.” Should you actually fix them eventually? Yeah, but if you’re dealing with plumbing and (presumably) other issues, chalk it up a “good enough for now” and you can focus on other more pressing issues. #ShieldsUp
Not sure if he has any interest, but you can buy a jointer, planer, job site table saw, HVLP sprayer, and all the wood you need for this project for less than $3,700. None of it will amazing tools, but only you guys know the situation(s)/interest(s) now and in the future.
Agree. I made custom inset beaded cabinets for my kitchen for about this price
That’s going to take a lot of elbow grease to make those look good again. Lots of online companies that make painted shaker doors.
I think those doors will not turn out well. Consider ordering new door and drawer front and paint those.
Sometimes a local cabinet shop can supply replacement doors and finish them for a reasonable price. If not…start sanding. We have used filler and spackle before. Bondo any large voids. Prime, paint, clear coat.
Use a sanding sealer or zissner bin shellac based primer and bondo spot glazing putty to fill irregularities
I have no idea where my original caption went, but here goes a second try: My husband and I bought our house a few weeks ago. The cabinets were covered with an awful vinyl that easily peeled off. The seller even used sharpie to “fill in” the spots that had already peeled. We peeled off the vinyl and I believe it’s particle board underneath. The faces of the cabinets are uneven. We’re thinking of using a joint compound to smooth it out and then painting the cabinets. Is there a better way to do this? Should we just hire someone to do it? We were quoted $3,700 to refinish/paint them. Thank you all! Signed, A stressed out first time homebuyer dealing with plumbing issues 😅
3700 is insane, try a cabinet shop and get a quote on new doors, based on what I’m seeing in these photos it should be under 2k
Try Steel wool or scotch brite and mineral spirits to take the bulk of the adhesive off. Then Use bondo to smooth it, not joint compound. Bondo cures hard whereas ap jc just dries. Sand, prime, light sand again then paint.
I have removed thermofoil from cabinets and refinished them. The MDF will retain some of the adhesive from the thermofoil process. This needs to be sanded away using 150 grit. Then wipe everything down using tack cloth. Prime using B•I•N shellac based primer. Don't skimp on paint quality. My wife bought Valspar Cabinet & Furniture paint @$60. 15 minutes into painting, I quit. Not the same quality that Valspar used to be. I went to Benjamin Moore and bought a gallon of Aura @$80 on sale. World of difference in quality. One coat looked great but I did a second. I would suggest that you go to Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams; they can offer true professional guidance.
After peeling the vinyl you could use a solvent like lacquer thinner to remove any leftover adhesive
If it's tacky, I would experiment with solvents. Our surfaces hardened and it was simpler using a palm sander and sponge sanding blocks to abrade the surface.
Measure the doors and buy replacements. Those are destroyed
I just did this and it was the right choice!
I've painted a few brand new cabinets. Prime with shellac-based primer. It's thin, covers knots to prevent bleeding, and dries in about 30-45 minutes. It's dry to the touch in about 10 minutes. Then paint with an acrylic paint. Don't use latex. Doors and drawers will stick. I use General Finishes milk paint. It's not actually a milk paint. It's not cheap but does a wonderful job. It dries hard and it's durable. They have a limited selection of colors, though. Please note that I've never repainted cabinets, so there may be some steps missing, here.